Room for improvement

Will you consult with industry findings of the report to get their input on how things should move forward?

AS: Sir Peter has written to industry inviting them to make formal submissions. He is also undertaking consultations with industry as well as government agencies. Beyond that I am unable to make any comment.

Federal government accounts for a large percentage of Australia's ICT spending. For IT companies that are worried about the impact of the review, can the department guarantee there will be no "slash and burn" round of cost cutting?

AS: The government is a significant user of ICT for all of its service delivery processes. There are projects from previous government budgets that have been pulled down for the last two years, and a very large amount of money has been made available for new investments, which are ongoing. There's also money that agencies have in their normal maintenance programs that they'll continue forward so I don't see this as being of any major concern. There is business as usual that is continuing.

How does the department view Australia's ICT market and its role in the economy going forward over the next three years?

AS: ICT is a key component of the government's administration and our service delivery. Our industry partners are an important part of what we do.